Typewriting machine



Jan. 22 1924. 1,481,352

S. COLLINS TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed May 17 1923 named an. 22 1924.

NITED STATES SAMUEL COLLINS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNDEBWOOD;

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TYFEWRTHNG MACHINE.

Application filed m 17, 192:. Serial Il'o. am;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the cit of Philadelphia, in the county of Phila- 5 de phia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to centerin -devices for typewriting machines, and is erein illustrated in connection with an Underwood standard typewriting machine.

A feature of the present invention consists in the provision of simple and effective work-sheet-centering means involvin a. minimum of change in the standard mac inc and auxiliary to the centering-scale fordetermining the initial positions of the carriage for typing headings, or the like.

carrying out the invention, provision ma be made of means settable for different wi ths of work-sheets, so that, when a worksheet of the selected width is inserted, it will be positioned centrally on the platen. For

this purpose, the inserted work-sheet may be gd at its edges by members or side gages pivotally mounted on a rod extending across the platen-frame back of the platen and forming part of paper-fingers having inwardly-offset forward ends to hold the portion of the work-sheet, immediately above the writing line, against the platen.

; To set the side gages at the proper positions for any desire width of work-sheet, the

5 rod, on which the side gages are mounted, is provided with a scale graduated in inches and fractions thereof in opposite directions from a central 0 graduatlon opposite the middle point of the platen, so that, when a work-sheet of a given width is to be used, the side gages may be set at distances from. the 0 graduation equal to half the width of the work-sheet.

To position the carriage for centering headings, or the like, provision may be made,

at the front of the carriage, of a fixed letter-space scale of substantially the same length as the platen and graduated in inches and tenths of inches, numbers being placed thereon at suitable intervals to assist in determining the number of any letter-space graduation. This scale may be used in connection with a central ointer on the front of the typewriter carriage for positioning the carriage, and also in connection with pointers on margin-stops for setting the latter in desired letter-space positions. At the front of the scale, for indicating the position of the carriage, provision may be made of another scalegraduated in inches and fifths of inches, every fifth graduation from the left or 0 graduation being desi ated by the roper number. By means o izhese two sca es, determination may be made of the initial position of the carriage for typmg, in centered position on a work-sheet centered on the platen, a heading of a plurality of letter-spaces in length.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The figure is a fragmentary, perspective view of part of an Underwood standard typewriting machine, showing my invention applied thereto.

platen 11 is mounted, by means of a platen-axle 12, in the ends 13 of a platenframe 14, having a rear paper-table 15 joining said ends 13. The platen 11 may be rotated by means of a finger-wheel 16, or by line-spacin mechanism comprising a ratchet-wheel 1 a slide 18 and a forwardlyprojecting line-space lever 19.

The platen-frame 14 forms part of a carriage 20, having a front bar 21 with a central pointer 22 1n position to co-operate with a scale 23 formed on the rear edge of a plate 24 secured to a fixed part of the frame. As herein disclosed, the machine is provided with an 8-inch platen, and the scale 23 is provided with graduations at spaces of of an inch, and is numbered in 10s from right to left up to 80.

At its front edge, the plate 24 is provided with a scale 25 with graduations at distances of of an inch; that is, each interval is twice the length of an interval in the scale 23. The graduations of the scale 25 are numbered in 5s from left to right. If, then, a work-sheet is introduced over the rear paper-table and centered on the platen, the scale 25 may be used in connection with the scale 23 and the pointer 22 in centering headings or the like on the work-sheet. This may be done by shifting the carriage to the right until the pointer 22 coincides with the 0 of the scale 23, and then moving it to the left as many spaces as there are letterspaces in the heading, preferably by succeswil be opposite the raduation 40 of the scale 23, and, in or er to position the carn the carriage for centering of a spring 34 inserted ria pro erl to begin the typing, in center d P08221012, of a heading containin a given number of letter-spaces, it is ev1 ent that the carriage must be moved to the right a number of letter-spaces equal to half the width of the heading.

The method, just described of positioning the heading enables the initial posltion of the carriage to be determined without mental computation, for, if the carriage is positioned with the pointer 22 opposite the 0 of the scale 23 and the carriage fed ainumber of stepsequal to the letter-spaces in the heading, the pointer 22 will be moved to the left along the scale 25 just halfthat number of spaces on the scale 25, and the resultant reading will be 40 minus half the number of letter-spaces in the heading. This result will give the proper initial positioning of the pointer 22 on the scale 23.

According to the present invention, provision is made of means, auxiliary b0 the centering-scale on the plate 24, for setting the side gages 26 for difi'erent widths of work-sheets, so that, when a work-sheet of one of such widths is inserted, it will be in centered position on the platen. As herein disclosed, the side gages 26 form part of paper-fingers indicated in general by 27, and comprisin curved strips 27 adjacent the platen an serving to guide work-sheets as they are advanced above the printing line,

the strips 27 being provided with the usual rolls 28, pivotally mounted in cars 29 and engaging the work-sheets through openings in sald strips 27 The strips 27 are provided with upwardly-extending portions 30, connected with the inturned forward ends of the side gages 26, thus providing relative lateral displacement between the side gages 26 and the strips 27, to permit the edges of sheets extending to the rear of the strips 27 to pass between the side gages 26. At the rear, the side gages are mounted on a rod 31 secured at its ends in the ends 13 of theplaten-frame.

In order to give a firm bearing on the rod 31, the side gages are provided with portions 32 parallel to the rod 31 and having cars 33 through which the rod 31 passes. For holding each side gage 26 in the desired angular position about the rod 31, provision is made between the rod 31 and the into a groove in the lower side of the rod 31.

im rovements mag portion 32 so as to press a key 35 For setting the side gages 26 properly for any given width of work-sheet to be used, the rod 31 is provided with a forwardlyfacing flat 36, in which a scale 37, auxiliary to the centering-scale on the plate 24, is marked in any suitable manner, asby stamping. As herein disclosed, this scale 37 has graduations at intervals of 6 of an inch. The central graduation of'the scale is designated by 0, and the graduation at each inch therefrom in opposite directions is designated by the proper numeral, the %-inch graduations being made, for convenience in reading, of greater length than the other fractional graduations; If, then, for example, a 7-inch work-sheet is to be used, each of the side gages 26 is positioned with its inner face in coincidence with the graduation indicating that the distance from the 0 of the scale is 3?; inches.

The scale 23 is also used in connection with the pointers 38 on the usual marginstops 39 to position the latter, as desired, along a rod 40, on which they are mounted.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the be used without others. aving thus escribed my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, a platen-frame, and a traveling carriage, of means settable for centering work-sheets of difi'erent widthson the platen, and means includin a centering scale, for determining the initia positions of the carriage for typing headings, or the like in centered positions on work-sheets centered on the platen, the worksheet-centering means comprising paper-fingers having forward portions engaging the platen above the printing line and rearward laterally-oil'set portions to serveas side gages for a worksheet on the platen, a rod in the platenframe on which the side gages are slidably mounted, and a scale on said rod auxiliary to said centering-scale, and marked in opposite directions from a central graduation indicated by a 0 marking, so as to facilitate the setting of the side gages at the proper equal dlstances on opposite sides of the 0 graduation when the width of the work-sheet to be used is determined.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a platen-frame, of means settable for centering work-sheets on the platen, comprising paper-fingers having forward portions en aging the laten above the printing line and rearward aterally-ofiset portions to serve as work-sheet, and a rod in the platen-frame on which the side gages are slidably mounted, said rod having thereon a scale marked in opposite directions from a central graduation indicated by a 0 marking, to enable the side gages to be set at the proper equal distances on opposite sides of the 0 graduation when the width of the worksheet to be used is determined.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, a platen-frame, a traveling carriage, and a keyboard, of means settable for centering work-sheets of diflerent widths on the platen, and means including a centering-scale, for determining the initial positions of the carriage for typin headings, or the like, in centered positions on work-sheets centered on the platen, the work-sheet-centering means comprising side gages, a, rod, on which the side gages are slidably mounted, fixed in the platen-frame w in a position to be visible above the platen to an operator at the keyboard, and a scale on the ront of said rod having like sets of graduations and number-indications extending in opposite directions from a 0 graduation opposite the middle of the platen to indicate the settings of the side gages for a selected width of work-sheet.

SAMUEL COLLINS.

Witnesses:

Amen E. MoLoNnY, THOMAS F. EGAN, Jr. 

